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YOUNG
PROFESSIONALS - February 2003 by Jennifer E. Kustes Giving Back to the Community For the past two years, the Lexington Young Professionals Association and the Young Professionals Association of Louisville have given Kentucky’s young professionals opportunities to make their voices heard and help their communities. Now, two more organizations have appeared on the scene, giving young professionals yet another venue. The Louisville Urban League Young Professionals and the Lexington Urban League Young Professionals have been established in Kentucky under the umbrella of the National Urban League Young Professionals Auxiliary. The two groups have similar missions. The Louisville groups goal is two-fold: first, to train community leaders, and second, to provide volunteerism to the community. The Lexington chapter “tries to enhance the social and economic status of people in the lower class, increase political participation and educational parity in the community,” said President Charles Hobbs. Both groups are composed of predominantly African-American members. Hobbs said he founded the Lexington chapter to find people who want to enhance the community. “I want this organization to be a panacea for social ills in the community,” Hobbs said. Many people are content with society, and “we can’t be content anymore. I’m here to give people a little push,” he said. The Louisville group currently has about 100 paid members. The dues fee of $35 a year includes membership to the Urban League as well as the young professionals group. Chapter President Kimberly Bunton said the group recruits members through word of mouth, an annual masquerade ball, professional development seminars, and a membership portfolio book. Hobbs said the Lexington chapter concentrates on recruiting quality members more than quantity. The group now has over 45 members, which is “a big step from just four of us who used to meet,” he said. The dues fee is $50 a year. “We have the entire spectrum of professions in our membership thus far, and we want to continue to have a good intake of professionals who are willing to change things,” Hobbs said. Both groups have active community outreach programs. The Lexington group has hosted a back to school rally to distribute school supplies to needy kids. They also volunteered at the mayoral debates, participate in a tutorial program to give kids computer lessons and help with homework, and mentor kids at Lexington Traditional Magnet School. Some of their future projects include adopting a school, serving breakfast to the homeless, taking a group of kids to a hockey game, and a Toys for Tots Christmas drive. The Louisville chapter adopts a neighborhood every year and holds an annual softball showdown to raise funds from corporate-sponsored teams for non-profit organizations. They are involved in an after-school mentoring program with the Urban League. The group is also asked to partner with different organizations and speak to groups such as Leadership Louisville. “I hope the community sees us as genuine participants. We want to stand side-by-side with them both as individuals and as an organization,” Bunton said. “The Louisville group encourages its members to volunteer on an individual basis as well as with the organization.” “We have grown rather rapidly in almost four years that we have been doing this,” Brunton said. “We are one of the top 20 chapters in the nation. Other chapters look to us for leadership. We have worked hard to be one of those chapters that others look to for advice.”
Jennifer Kustes
is a columnist for The Lane Report
and also a member of the Lexington Young Professionals Association. |
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